Mary Ruchalski, 12-year-old St. Agnes student, dies

Mary Ruchalski, a seventh-grader at St. Agnes Cathedral School, died last Sunday after a battle with cancer. She was 12.

In January 2017, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. She would have been 13 on Tuesday.

Mary loved playing lacrosse, basketball and softball, according to her sister Ashley, who called her a “star athlete” that was always smiling and singing.

“She was the happiest and nicest person,” Ashley said. “She had so many friends and … everyone loved being around her.”

In addition to Ashley, Mary is survived by parents Francis and Carol, sister Lyndsey and twin brother, John.

Visitations will be held at Macken Mortuary — 52 Clinton Ave. in Rockville Centre — on Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m., and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.

A funeral service will be held at St. Agnes Cathedral — 29 Quealy Place in Rockville Centre — at 10 a.m. on Friday. Her burial will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.

In lieu of flowers, Mary’s family asks people to consider donating to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at www.giving.mskcc.org or to Mary’s fund, at www.youcaring.com/stagnescathedralschool-1128778, which will benefit the St. Agnes School community.